INSPIRATION FROM LIGHTOVATION: SHAPE & FORM

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I was lucky enough to return to Lightovation at the Dallas Market in January. So many incredible strides have been taken in the development of light fixtures with LED components. I was impressed by the warm colors and the dimmability, but I was really blown away by the ways these lighting manufacturers and their designers were using LEDs as a decorative element.

There was so much to take in that I’m going to divide my report into two sections. This for section will be on inventiveness. Next month I’m going to concentrate on light and texture.

One of the most eye-catching fixtures in the show was the Akoya by Alora Lighting (shown above). It looked like an enormous luminous strand of pearls with an alluring undulation. It is flexible and can be shaped into different configurations. It is available in 79-inch and a 98-inch lengths. The color temperature is 3000K with a CRI of 90. 

Chips (shown above) a pendant fixture, designed by Matt Sanders for Studio M (Maxim Lighting), has a decidedly mid-century modern feel. And for good reason, the designs of the 1960s and early 1970s have staying power. They continue to influence contemporary designs. 

I really love the asymmetry of this fixture as well as the scale. I like a big fixture and I cannot lie. There is also a horizontal version, along with coordinated wall sconces. This is the white version, and it is also available in natural aged brass, neutral taupe, gray, dark slate, sage green and dusty blush. By the way, Dusty Blush would be a great drag name.  

This is the Magellan pendant by Kuzco (shown above), available in a black and a gold finish. The color temperature is 3000° Kelvin. It comes in two sizes, 18.5 inches in diameter and 23 inches in diameter; and is dimmable. This too has a Jetsons’ feel. It is both modern and retro at the same time. I didn’t notice any individual diodes. The illumination is perfectly smooth. It would be cool if they offered it in a warm/dim version.

The is the Perpetual Pendant by ET2.  A shape like this would not have been possible before the introduction of LED components. Well yes, it could have been done with neon but there would have been no elegance and it would have buzzed really loudly. I love how the pendant swoops and wraps around itself, like a bow being tied.

Here we have the Rinkle by ET2 (shown above). It is made of patterned acrylic. There is a strip of LED linear lighting that runs along the top of each piece. The sections are formed by hand so each completed fixture is unique. Sometimes I see a figure walking and other times I see stylized potato chips pouring in slow motion out of a bag located high in the sky.

Here we have the Banks Linear chandelier by Hudson Valley Lighting. I was particularly drawn to this fixture because of the luscious warm light it produced. It felt like the color of dimmed incandescent or candlelight. This fixture uses screw-in bulbs so you can pick a color temperature that suits your particular taste.